Lok Sabha unanimously passes GST Constitutional Amendment Bill

NEW DELHI: Parliament on Monday passed the historic GST Bill with the Lok Sabha adopting the legislation, which was last week passed by the Rajya Sabha. The bill was passed by two-third majority, with 443 members voting in its favour and none against in the final vote. AIADMK members in the Lok Sabha had earlier staged a walkout. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said the passage of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) constitutional amendment bill is a good step for the country. "I think it is a good step for the country," Gandhi told reporters after the Lok Sabha unanimously passed the 122nd constitutional amendment bill, paving way for the implementation of the GST. He further said the differences over the GST between the government and the Congress have narrowed down but the issue of 18 per cent cap is worrisome as it concerns inflation. "We had earlier three major differences on the GST. We worked out the differences. There is one issue which is the 18 per cent issue and we feel that it is a very important issue. Because we are worried about inflation resulting from no cap. So now that's discussion (will be) in December," he said. Participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha on the amendments to the GST Bill, Modi described GST as a “Great Step by Team India, Great Step towards Transformation and Great Step towards Transparency” and a big message of the uniform tax law will be that “consumer is the king”. He strongly countered Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily’s contention that the NDA government had consulted only Rajya Sabha leaders on the uniform tax law and thereby reduced the Lok Sabha to a “junior partner”. “Such description was uncalled for,” the Prime Minister said and maintained that when his government began consultations on the GST, he had met both Congress President Sonia Gandhi, a member of Lok Sabha, and Manmohan Singh, a Rajya Sabha member. The constitutional amendment bill is an enabling legislation and the government will come out with a CGST and IGST Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament for implementing new tax regime which will subsume various indirect taxes